Food container



Nov. 22, 1960 R. M. HOLMES FOOD CONTAINER Filed June 20, 1958 FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

RAYNOR M. HOLMES FIG. 7

H S ATTORNEYS United States Patent FOOD CONTAINER Raynor M. Holmes,Newark, N.Y., assignor to Bloomer Bros. Company, Newark, N.Y., acorporation of New York Filed June 20, 1958, Ser. No. 743,264

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This invention provides a method for packagingfoods, particularly for freezing operations, and container means forcarrying out such method. It has been a common practice to package foodproducts in paperboard containers of retail or home consumption size,with a bag lining made of one of the known vapor-proof, plasticcompositions for protecting the contents against subjection to vaporsand changing atmospheric humidity. Such bag lining materials areflexible and incapable of maintaining a desired shape as at the topopening through which the bag is to be filled, and various expedientshave been employed for positioning the bag liner in the container inposition to be filled, such as funnels, shaping or mandrel implements,paperboard liners and the like. One object of the invention is toprovide a more convenient method for shaping and filling the bag linerand sealing the same in condition for storage or freezing.

Another object is to provide such a method capable of being employedmore easily, quickly and conveniently, particularly in home use and witha minimum of packaging devices.

Another object is to provide improved container means for carrying outthe above method, of a more simple, convenient and expeditious natureand requiring a minimum number of container parts.

Still a further object is to provide container means adapted to beeconomically manufactured and to be stored and transported inconveniently collapsed and flat condition.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts and method steps, all as will be hereinaftermore fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claimsat the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cardboard container used in carryingout the present invention and showing its top flaps open;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, but showing the top flaps foldedoutwardly and downwardly and held against the container sides by arubber band;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing the bag liner insertedand with its open top turned down over the container flaps;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with oppositesides of the carton bulged outwardly to produce a top opening ofhexagonal shape;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the carton and bag liner as shown in Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, except with the top of the linergathered, twisted and held by a rubber band, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of the carton.

The method of the present invention is best disclosed in connection witha description of the container means for carrying it out. Such meanspreferably comprises a Patented Nov. 22, 1960 paperboard cartonindicated generally at 10, of rectangular oblong shape with one pair ofopposite side walls 12 and 14 of greater width than the other, as shownand as commonly employed in good containers of retail size or intendedfor home use. The top and bottom of the carton are closed by overlappingflaps of known or suitable construction such as the flaps 16 and 18foldably connected with the tops of the sides of greater width and theflaps 20 and 22 on the intermediate sides of the carton, flap 16 beingprovided with a tongue 24 for insertion in slits 26 in flap 18, asshown. The opposite sides of the carton, 12 and 14, are each formed withfold lines of weakening or scoring 28 extending midway between theopposite corners of each side, from the bottom of the carton upwardlyacross the foldably connected flaps 16 and 18, for a purpose hereafterdescribed.

The top flaps, 16 to 22, inclusive, are opened, folded outwardly anddownwardly across the respective sides and, if found desirable, may besecured in such position, as by means of an elastic band 39, as shown inFig. 2, preparatory to insertion of the bag liner. The liner 32 is ofany known flexible, vapor-proof, sheet material, such as rubber,polyvinyl, or other known plastic composition, and is of the samegeneral shape as the interior of the container or carton but of greaterheight, so that its top extends substantially above the top of thecarton. The liner is inserted into the carton and the carton sides oflesser width, 34 and 36, intermediate the sides 12 and 14, are thenpressed inwardly at the upper portion of the carton while the upperportions of the sides 12 and 14 are pressed inwardly, to contract thecarton top and assist in folding the top edges of the bag lineroutwardly and downwardly over the carton flaps, as shown in Fig. 3, toassist in holding the flaps folded down and to fully open the top of thebag. The carton sides of lesser width, 34 and 36, intermediate the sides12 and 14, are then pressed inwardly at the upper portion of the cartonwith the result that the sides 12 and 14 are folded along the lines 28and bulged outwardly, to expand the open tops of the carton and bag intohexagonal shape, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, thus enlarging the minimumdimension of the open tops so that the contents can be readily insertedto fill the bag, thereby expanding it to closely fit the interior of thecarton. The bag is filled to a level slightly below the top of thecarton, to allow for expansion when freezing and the top edges of thebag are then brought together, twisted and bound tightly together bywinding around them the rubber band 35), to tightly seal the bagopening. The top of the bag is then pressed down level with the top ofthe carton and the carton flaps are folded over it and interlocked tosecurely close the carton top.

The invention thus supplies a method of packaging which is easy toaccomplish, rapid and convenient, with minimum soiling of apparatus orhands and with the use of a minimum of packaging parts. The containermeans for carrying out the method requires a minimum number of partscapable of being readily and economically manufactured and of storageand transportation in conveniently collapsed or fiat form, thepaperboard carton being readily collapsible by opening its end closureflaps and collapsing it about the corners between its side walls, aswell understood in the art. The container means thus eliminates thelabor and expense of employing auxiliary equipment parts such asfunnels, shaping or mandrel means, or additional liners, and thecontents are held in satisfactory condition for freezing andpreservation.

A modified form of the paperboard container, shown in Fig. 7, has itsopposite side walls, as 40, formed, with lines of weakening 42 extendingdown only to about the ce e f the s d and the e IIid by lines ofweakening 46 and 48 extending outwardly to the edges or corners of theside walls. These lines are continued s ef e, th ough the conne ted cosur flaps a 44, and pressure -is applied, as described above, to theintermediate side walls of lesser width to first contractand then bulgethe top of the container and bag outwardly, substantially as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, except that the outward bowing of the sides occurs to agreater degree in the upper portion of the container which, with its bagliner, is filled and manipulated as described above.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects andwhile it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details ofpreferred embpdiments, it is, to be understood that such disclosure isintended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it :iscontemplated that various modifications in the materials and methodsteps will readily occur to those skilled in the art, Within the spiritof the invention and the sc pe of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container for food products, a carton having pairs of oppositeside walls and an open top, closure flaps foldably connected to the topsof said side walls for overlapping of opposite flaps to form inner andouter pairs of flaps to close the carton top, meanson opposite outerones of said closure flaps for detachably securing said closure flapstogether in carton closing position, said flaps being adapted forfolding outwardly and downwardly to lie against the outer sides of therespective side walls, a bag of flexible, vapor-proof material liningthe interior of said carton with an open top and having sides at saidtop extending above the tops of said carton side walls and adapted to befolded outwardly and downwardly over said outwardly and downwardlyfolded carton flaps, to hold said carton flaps in said outwardly anddownwardly folded positions during access to said bag, and lines ofweakening extending across a pair of opposing carton side walls andacross the top flaps connected thereto to produce outward bowing of theupper portions of said weakened side walls by pressure against the otherpair of said carton side walls to expand said open tops of said cartonand bag into hexagonal shape and facilitate access to the interior andthe contents thereof.

2. In a container for food products, a carton having pairs of oppositeside walls with one pair of greater width than the other and having anopen top, closure flaps foldably connected to the tops of each of saidside walls for overlapping of opposite flaps to form inner and outerpairs thereof, cooperating tongue and slit means on opposite flaps ofsaid outer pair of said closure flaps for detachably securing saidclosure flaps together in position to close the carton, said flaps beingadapted for folding outwardly and downwardly to lie against the outersides of the respective side walls, a bag of flexible, vapor-proofmaterial lining the interior of said carton with an open top and havingsides extending above the tops of said carton side walls and adapted tobe folded outwardly and downwardly over said outwardly and downwardlyfolded carton flaps, to hold said carton flaps in said outwardly anddownwardly folded positions during access to said bag, and lines ofweakening extending across a pair of opposing carton side walls andacross the top flaps connected thereto to produce outward bowing of theupper portions of said weakened side walls by pressure against the otherpair of said carton side walls to expand said open tops of said cartonand bag into hexagonal shape and facilitate access to the interior andthe contents thereof.

3. In a container for food products, a paperboard carton having pairs ofopposite-side walls and an open top, 9195mm flap f ldably sonn ed t9 theen of a d side walls for overlapping of opposite flaps to form inner andouter pairs of flaps to close the carton top, means on opposite outerones of said closure flaps for detachably securing said flaps togetherin carton closing position, said flaps being adapted for foldingoutwardly and downwardly to lie against the outer sides of therespective side walls, a bag of flexible, vapor-proof material liningthe interior of said carton with an open top and having sides at saidtop extending above the tops of said carton side walls and adapted to befolded outwardly and downwardly over said outwardly and downwardlyfolded carton flaps, to hold .said carton flaps in said outwardly anddownwardly folding positions during access to said bag, lines ofweakening extending across a pair of opposing carton side walls andacross the top flaps connected thereto to produce inward bowing of theupper portions of said weakened side walls by pressure against saidcarton sidewalls to contract the open top of said carton to facilitatesaid outward folding of the top of said bag over said carton flaps, saidweakened side walls being bowed outwardly by .pressure against its otherside walls to expand said open tops of said carton and bag intohexagonal shape and facilitate access to the interior and contentsthereof, and elastic means for holding said bag top and flaps in saidoutwardly and downwardly folded position and for securing the top ofsaid bag in gathered and closed position after filling thereof withcontents.

4 In a container for food products, a paperboard carton having pairs ofopposite side walls and an open top, closure flaps foldably connected tothe tops of said side walls for overlapping of opposite flaps to forminner and outer pairs of flaps to close the same, means on oppositeouter ones of said closure flaps for detachably securing said closureflaps together in carton closing position, said flaps being adapted forfolding outwardly and downwardly to lie against the outer sides of therespective side walls, a bag of flexible, vapor-proof material liningthe interior of said carton with an open top and having sides at saidtop extending above the tops of said carton side walls and adapted to befolded outwardly and downwardly over said outwardly and downwardlyfolded carton flaps, to hold said carton flaps in said outwardly anddownwardly folded positions during access to said bag, lines ofweakening extending upwardly from the central portion to the top of apair of opposing carton side walls and across the top :fiaps connectedthereto, and auxiliary lines of weakening extending from the lower endof said central lines upwardly and outwardly to the side edges of theweakened sidewalls, to produce outward bowingof the upper portions ofsaid weakened side walls by pressure against the other pair of saidcarton side walls, to expand said open top into hexagonal shape andfacilitate access to the interior of said carton and bag and thecontents thereof.

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